Confessions of a 35 Year Old

by TEI

Thirty-five-year-old, single office worker Jason normally finds love to be elusive. He doesn't give much thought to his new coworker Frank when he joins the company. But when a chance encounter evolves into a series of shared moments, an unanticipated twist in their relationship finds Jason and Frank being roommates. Will Jason find his new normal is love?

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Queer, M M Romance

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

And they were roommates!

Thanks to Yuzu comics for a copy to review! This manhua is already on shelves.

This is a quiet, slice of life and workplace BL from a Taiwanese creator, which was refreshing to see in the market.

Jason (they've adopted English names to use in the wokplace, pretty common) needs the help of IT whiz Frank, a younger worker who's dealing with a rough commute. Jason, whose apartment is huge thanks to family money, asks Frank to room with him, and they settle into a cozy companionship that seems posed to bloom into something more. But Jason's feeling the familial pressure of being an unmarried virgin at 35, and Frank has his own drama to deal with...

It was great to see bi rep spelled out in a manhua for once! Other than that, this wasn't that remarkable. The typical internalized homophobia doesn't abate until near the end, and there's some biphobia and misunderstandings about bisexuality. There were also translation errors and typos in this copy.

It was a cute story with some nice design choices, like the table of contents design looking like an old webpage!

[Emma Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of this book which was disappointing because it looked like a cute book. I didn't find the dialogue to be natural, and the way the characters reacted didn't seem natural. I didn't feel the romance between the characters, and I wished there was more of that because I really wanted to like it, but I didn't. The art style was cute for some of the characters, but at other times, I felt like it didn't help with showing movement or actions done by them because they looked flat. It was also hard for me to get into the characters and connect with them.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just a short, sweet glimpse into the life of an office-worker who is still figuring out his sexuality, even though he's 35, and the new guy at work who patiently waits for him to decide how he feels. The art is lovely and the story is nicely-paced. It's very G-rated. Just a nice, pleasant, heartwarming short story. I got an arc from NetGalley but I would have bought this in paperback, if it were an option. It's an ebook only.

I didn't realize before reading that this is a Taiwanese manhua, not a Japanese manga. I know from watching Asian TV shows that in Taiwan it's common for people to have English-style nicknames, but some people might not know that Shuhui goes by Lisa, for example, and even I am not sure why that's the case, I just know vaguely that it is a thing... Manga often have translation and culture notes at the end of the book to explain things like that, so I wish that had been the case with this standalone. I did see a couple typos/grammar mistakes but nothing major. I really loved this story and would love to read more graphic novels by this author. Unfortunately, Amazon seems to have them mixed up with another TEI and all kinds of random books come up with you search their name. Anyway, highly recommend if you'd be interested in a cozy little romantic self-discovery LGBT title.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Another BL manhua and I did like it was more mature and more real than most so far, but yeah, it just didn't grab me and at times it felt very disjointed, I missed connection between certain parts. We would go from point a to point p and I would have to go back to the previous pages to see if I missed a panel, a page, or something else. The MC was at times a bit hard to read/didn't always like him, but I did like seeing our MC grow, see what makes him tick, see him discover love, and I do hope that he is open a bit more to various sexualities. Like being Bi or Pan. Because those exist. Plus, feels better about being queer, because there is nothing wrong with two guys. Though given some countries I guess I could understand he was worried. The art was pretty nice though at times the MC looked WAY older than his 35 years. The romance was nice as well and I was rooting for these two to get together because they would be nice together and they fitted so well together (as they noticed because they became roommates).

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward romance that feels low-stakes and relaxing while also being full of emotion.
Jason is 35, single and lonely, haunted by having rejected a male friend's confession years ago, he can't seem to find anyone to share his life with now. Frank is a shy new coworker who ends up living with him because Jason is way too nice and can't say no when someone suggests that he rent his extra room to the newcomer who lives very far away. Their peaceful new life will make Jason rethink his past and his future, especially when Frank expresses a desire for more.
The art is pretty basic, nothing bad but also nothing to rave over. It fits the calm tone of the story.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and YUZU Comics for the read!

[havies_tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I was enjoying this, but as it went along, I felt the main character was a bit difficult to swallow. Being bisexual myself, I found his whole "This guy confessed to me but then got married to a lady, so he must have lied to me" line to be a bit childish for someone 35.

His love interest was honestly the only character I enjoyed throughout the whole story. He was very caring and understanding of his crushes worries and went to great lengths to not impose his feelings or even really be around the man as he mulled over the confession. I don't believe I'm doing his character justice with this explanation, but he definitely helps my rating up to a 3.

Now let me say that the ending was annoying as hell. I get a kiss might have been too much to ask for, but not even his confession gets an answer? They leave it open-ended right before he replies?? Maybe it was supposed to sound cute, but for something so short, I think it deserved a tidy bow at least. I'd say it deserved a read, but it was definitely not satisfying ending wise.

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had the potential to be 5 stars but it was just too short and the ending to ambiguous

[Erika Sarutobi · Rating 2 out of 5]

RTC

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a more mature BL manga which I did appreciate, but other than that, there was nothing that really stood out for me.

Disjointed at times, I didn't know if I have missed something or panels were missing. I would flip between pages to try and make sense of it.

It was nice to see some bisexual rep here and even some discussion about that.

The romance was nice and easy to root for. They really managed to balance each other out in a nice way which did save this some. It's one that with a little more editing and length I think it could have been a really nice manga.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a cute read, it felt rushed and lacking. I wanted to know more about the characters and to see them interact directly instead of viewing their build up via a flash back. The ending felt extra rushed as if heading towards a page count limit and needed to wrap up the story. Overall, I wanted more.

Thank you to YUZU Comics and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[swatreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut BL manhua by a Taiwanese creator is a refreshing read to finish in one sitting! 35 year old Jason is haunted by the fact that he rejected a junior who confessed to him years ago and is now dating a girl. Jason is lonely, single and feels he will never find someone to share his life with. Frank, his new coworker is looking for a place to stay and Jason offers him to be his roommate. Although awkward at first, he begins to enjoy having someone to talk to, do the chores together and simply enjoy the companionship. I like BL stories because the emotions are expressed way more naturally and are raw! There is self discovery mixed with the fear of how the other person feels and all the anxiety and anticipation. I don’t usually read romance because I find most of them to be cringe but the emotions in this were so strong and raw, you can’t help but root for them! Overall a good fast read with some good art! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**Thanks to Yuzu comics and Netgalley for the ARC.

#confessionsofa35yearold #netgalley

[amax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art: 3 ⭐
Plot: 3 ⭐
Pacing: 2 ⭐

Overall: 3 ⭐

Cute and wholesome, but it is very short and ends rather abruptly.

The story centres around Jason, a 35 year old company worker, and his sudden roommate, Frank, a 22 year old intern at his company. Jason is loved by all his coworkers, but he feels inadequate because of the perceived "social failure" of being unmarried at his age. His mother constantly compares him to his brother who graduated from a good university, got married, and has two kids. Jason feels a lot of pressure to meet social expectations, despite his ambivalent feelings towards dating and romance.

The pacing is what damaged this story because of the rapid (and unrealistic) changes in the characters. However, the plot had good points and covered different topics, from workplace bullying, to social/family pressure, sexuality, and more.

Overall, it's a quick read that will make you question the relevance of pleasing society to the detriment of one's happiness.

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant story of a man who thinks he's missing out on life because he has not found love. Once a man his journey confessed feelings for him and he ran from the feelings.
He spent years wondering what if?
Years later it happens again and he is going through it. Worried about family, co workers, and friends.
While there were a few comments I found slightly on the edge of homophobia, I do have to take into account cultural differences.
The drawing is very good and the story was sweet. I soon began to care about these two men, and hoped they found the love they both wanted.
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Scientist's Reading World | Hugo Lapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a refreshing way to end my night! after a disastrous m/m manga I got to this one and oh boy I love it! although short I see the development of the characters and their needs. The MC is afraid to be alone due to his mother's pressure to compare it to another more successful son. The MC is so nice to all and the connection starts very intense, the backstories are great and the relationship is so real and slow and truthful. the scene in the bridge oh i love it! The stigma of a same couple within the MC is so interesting and how he continues to relieve that first confession of love a long time a go!
I loved it and i recommend so much!

[The Library's Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet manga of learning more of yourself and what you want from life and those around you. It was refreshing to see a story that focused more on the MC coming to terms with himself and his sexuality. We don't always figure ourselves out in our teens or early twenties so to see an MC in his thirties tackling prior prejudices and opening his heart up to another was really nice. I wish it had been a little longer to flesh out their relationship after the "coming to terms" but overall it was enjoyable.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wish I could have rated this higher but the story just feels incomplete

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is kind of a romance, I wouldn't categorize it as that. Going into this knowing it's an introspective, slice of life story will make you appreciate it more. I really did enjoy this title. I always appreciate stories revolving around older protagonists. Our main character is a late bloomer and is still figuring out what he wants in a romantic partner. I feel like it's a very relatable story, and even though you get older, that doesn't mean you have everything figured out.

I very much wish this wasn't a standalone volume because I'd love to read more about these characters 🥺

I read this title through NetGalley

[Cj Otaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Confessionsofa35YearOld #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Media Do International, Inc., YUZU Comics for the early copy of this manga. First, I would like to commend the drawings and illustrations. Two thumbs up for me.

For the storyline, I loved it too, especially the buying of groceries scene and the bookstore scene. Although they were cute together, I feel like the love confession was abruptly made. I wanted more scenes showing love and hated that the manga spent two months living together as roommates without us witnessing how it went.

Overall, I would like to see more of them, and I can't wait to see how their relationship will progress.

[ashtree howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me

Honestly I felt it was stupid the whole time he’s like i regretted someone and they moved on and become happy even though they said they liked me and that’s what was bothering him?! He’s 35 that’s like middle school mindset. I didn’t like it.

[taketwolu]

This was a charming BL manga about a 35 year old figuring out his life and sexuality as he welcomes his coworker into his home. It was cute seeing the two open up to each other and I appreciated the talk about identity, sexuality, adulthood, and work life balance. The romance was cute and the artwork was nicely done. Overall, this was a quick and sweet read.

Thanks NetGalley for my arc!

[Jack Goff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confessions of a 35 Year Old is a sweet story about allowing yourself to be who you are and accepting the love of others.

I always appreciate when I find manga with characters around my age. Sometimes it seems like most manga these days are about young people, and while I really like them anyway, it's nice to see a manga about adults. This manga was a fairly simple, but lovely story of a man who is growing older and all the expectations he has placed upon himself and those placed on him by others. I really loved both of the characters and they felt super relatable to me.

I am not entirely sure if this counts as a spoiler, but growing up as someone in a very strict household with very traditional ideas about gender and marriage and what constitutes a family. When I started having feelings for women (before I realized I was nonbinary), I thought that it was unnatural and strange. I thought there was something wrong with me. Questioning my gender and also realizing I was ace only made things even more confusing. So the conversation with his mother about her wanting him to get married to a woman and the conversation with his friend's wife rang particularly true.

For a non spoiler-y version, the conversations about nontraditional relationships were very well done in my opinion. Did it go into a tone of detail and nuance? Nah, but sometimes just a simple acknowledgement is enough to make you feel seen, to make something more normal. Both characters were very sweet and treated each other with a lot of respect, which I also was very excited about.

My one gripe is that I wish this was a bit longer and that we could have seen more of them together as a couple. The art was good, the story was good, and I will be recommending this to people who need a sweet, quick story about finding love and acceptance even when you think it's too late.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and YUZU comics for allowing me a digital ARC to read for an honest review!!

[Shatiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume unico che racconta la storia di un 35enne che non ha mai avuto una relazione.
Il protagonista vive costantemente nel rimpianto dopo aver rifiutato un suo amico anni prima, perchè sentiva che ricambiare sarebbe stato "strano e sbagliato". Ma non si rendeva ancora conto che lo era solo per gli altri.
Sul posto di lavoro incontra un suo collega più giovane e si offre di dividere l'appartamento per via del lungo tragitto coi mezzi che era obbligato a fare ogni giorno.
I due iniziano a convivere tranquillamente, finchè tra loro iniziano a presentarsi situazioni imbarazzanti, come la visita non preventivata della madre del protagonista, che non fa altro che impicciarsi della sua vita e di lodare i risultati ottenuti dal fratello.
Solo dopo la strana confessione del collega, il protagonista si rende conto piano piano dei suoi sentimenti, cercando di affrontare le paure che lo hanno sempre tormentato, accettando a piccoli passi la sua prima relazione, infischiandosene di quello che penseranno gli altri.

Credo sia una storia buona, che tratta argomenti importanti come il bullismo sul lavoro, le prime relazioni e la conoscenza di sè stessi.
E' realizzata in maniera delicata, ma allo stesso tempo manca di sentimento. Infatti non ho sentito nessun affetto per i due personaggi, ne per la loro storia. E' una buona base, ma andava lavorata un po' di più, dando più dettagli e affrontando con altre scene il loro rapporto.
Forse se avesse avuto un altro volume o pagine in più, avrei sicuramente apprezzato maggiormente questa storia.

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo in anteprima.

-----------------------

Single volume that tells the story of a 35 year old who has never had a relationship.
The protagonist constantly lives in regret after having rejected a friend years before, because he felt that reciprocating would have been "strange and wrong". But he didn't yet realize that it was only for others.
Years later at work he meets a younger colleague and offers to share the apartment due to the long journey by public transport that he was forced to make every day.
The two begin to live peacefully, until embarrassing situations begin to arise between them, such as the unplanned visit of the protagonist's mother, who does nothing but interfere in his life and praise the results obtained by her brother.
Only after his colleague's strange confession, the protagonist slowly realize his feelings, trying to face the fears that have always tormented him, accepting his first relationship in small steps, not caring what others will think.

I think it's a good story, which deals with important topics such as bullying at work, first relationships and self-knowledge.
It is delicately crafted, but at the same time lacks feeling. In fact, I didn't feel any affection for the two characters, nor for their story.
It's a good start, but it needed to be worked on a little more, giving more details and addressing their relationship with other scenes.
Maybe if it had had another volume or more pages, I would definitely have enjoyed this story more.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me preview it.

[Dilliemillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very clean, gentle story about a man learning to understand his sexuality later in life.

Jason (the characters in this story pick English nicknames to use) is a genuinely nice person, friendly and respected in his workplace. But he is also single and lonely, still dwelling on a romance that never was from years ago. He feels pressure from his family to find a wife and to be successful.

In walks Frank, a new IT hire coming from an unhappy work situation. Through the help of a coworker the two of them end up as roommates and their relationship strengthens, potentially growing into more.

If this book were a first volume setup, I would find it much more successful. However - it is a standalone volume. The depth the author aims for in character backstory and emotion isn't quite there.

The internalized homophobia and biphobia that lingers for most of the book is a little difficult to get through. The main character reads as asexual which I love! I only wish that could have been more fleshed out - unfortunately too much to expect of a story and characters that treat the mere existence of homosexuality and bisexuality as a revelation.

The art is pretty though, which is always a selling point for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Media Do International for an eARC in return for an honest review.

[Kiri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like "Confessions of a 35 Year Old" when I saw the title come up on NetGalley. The story, a 35-year-old office worker who has struggled with romance all his life meets a new coworker and makes a connection with him. Sounds potentially cute and melancholy, no? Well, it really fell short of my expectations. The plot and the romance was disjointed and rushed. None of the characters were properly fleshed out. I've read other one shots that were more thoroughly fleshed out, so it can be done. This story had so much potential to be more... like they could have explored other sexualities other than gay and bisexual. Jason seems like he'd be ace... which would have been great because you don't see that often in manga.

The two things that I did enjoy were the art and the fact that there wasn't any explicit scenes.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very soft, very sweet love story between a 35 year old virgin man, and the new hire, a young man in his 20s. At times it feels as the the MC doesn't care if he never finds love, at other times, he feels as htough he is being forced, by his family to finally get together with someone, anyone, man or woman. But he refuses.

But then the new IT worker needs a palce to stay, and the other people in the office suggest the MCs appartnment, which has an extra room. And so the MC has a cute new roommate, but he still isnt' sure if he is feeling attraction to him, or not.

This goes on through the whole book, until, he even tries dating a woman, to see if he can get a feeling of love from that, and it doesn't happen.

thankst to NEtalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Kenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

{manga/manwha 9/30}

Overall disappointed with this one - it follows a 35 year old virgin who has never experienced love and his younger colleague who moves in with him after their coworker sets them up to live together (and they were roommates!) The “romance” wasn’t clearly set up, and I didn’t get any sort of connection between the two of them. Additionally, I felt that there was a disconnect between a lot of the dialogue, and the translations were definitely weaker in this than in even some of the fan-made translations I’ve read.


I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nerdy_Bee_Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written for my 30-something self! The story leaned more slice of life to me than romance but I liked that because the story's progression felt very realistic. I would have liked more to the end of the story but it still left off in a place where I don't have to have more. I also did find that there were some points where the translations felt a little off but they were few and far between. This is the kind of book that I would recommend for people in their 30s who want to read about other people in their 30s who don't feel like they are living up to their own (and their families) expectations. That is where this story shines!

[Ryofire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up from NetGalley because of the wonderful cover and title, and intriguing summary.

The art is very cute, and the story is nice, if a bit wonky at times. I think part of that is down to the at times awkward English translation. There's even a typo on one of the early pages. The awkwardness makes the dialogue stilted in places. Certain ideas also aren't developed the best (e.g., the protagonist's worry about two men being seen as a couple), but I wonder if part of that is again down to the awkward translation.

It also feels a little rushed, with the protagonist's fear of being left behind feeling a bit out of the blue. In "I Didn't Mean To Fall In Love" by Minta Suzumaru, which starts with the protagonist turning 30, there's a lot of focus on aging, time passing, and feeling like a clock is running out, as well as the protagonist comparing himself to people who are younger (namely, his love interest). In this, though, the protagonist gets to his birthday at the climax of the story, and it feels like the fear of being left behind due to age is just... suddenly there. I love the idea, it's one of the reasons Suzumaru's graphic novel is one of my favorites, and a big reason TEI's manhua appealed to me. There's a lot of fear once you're past your 20s that your time as a romantic prospect or at least to find a partner are over, and tackling that fear and how adults in their 30s in particular handle that space is a really good one. But it feels really underdeveloped here, so it's kind of a letdown.

I don't think it helps that there's a bit of weirdness with the bisexuality plotline and maybe, perhaps unintentionally, asexuality. There's a weirdness at times in boys love with handling bisexuality, with authors sometimes attempting to tackle biphobia, though it can be difficult to tell if the work in question is a critique of biphobia or kind of embracing it. "The Liar Beside Me" by Shina Suzuka had this issue, where bisexual men are considered to be faking it for the easier life of being with a woman when they please, abandoning male lovers as needed, until they admit they really want to be with men and were maybe just gay all along. The protagonist of Confessions, Jason, for some reason feels obligated to men who have confessed to him until he is "left" before he's even said yes to them, which is weirdly parasitic. He does however note that it is more "sensible" to be with a woman. This seems to be tackling the reality of passing as straight being just easier mentally and on the whole than dealing with homophobia on the day-to-day when appearing publicly queer. But it also squishes in a bit of "bi men are just faking it until they find a woman" or something. It's hard to tell. Decisions about partners aren't only going to ever be one thing, so the complexity feels realistic, but it's also confusing to read. The story does conclude with that very nice explanation by Frank (which is still confusing to read), which is reassuring, and at no point are we shown that Frank is just faking it until he found the right woman, but it again harkens back to: Jason's insecurity that bi (or potentially bi) men are going to abandon him before he's even in a relationship with them. It's odd.

The bisexuality plotline is overt, but there's also a heavy undercurrent that Jason is asexual, in his repeated remarks that he isn't looking for physicality in a relationship. Perhaps due to the translation, it's unclear if this in the sense that he's not using apps to pick up women for one-night stands, friends-with-benefits relationships, or generally flings, or if he genuinely isn't interested in physicality at all. It's a neat choice to have an asexual protagonist - even perhaps an unaware one - in a boys love manhua, since that's even more rare in my experience than older m/m couples (e.g., Scarlet Beriko's "Jealousy" series is wonderful in the way it handles a much older m/m couple, and "Monster and the Beast" by Renji is another story with an older male partner, though it might be that older m/m is a lot rarer in manhua than it is in manga, and the only kind of asexual m/m manga I can recall is "Twittering Birds Never Fly" by Kou Yoneda, which isn't precisely that). It's just handled a bit awkwardly. I'm also unfortunately curious if censorship had any hand in why the comic veers into the "I'm not in this for sex" angle more than wanting to tell a story about someone who may not even know they're ace. But I do like to think this might just be about a character who's ace, doesn't realize it, and is navigating a bunch of feelings he hasn't had to deal with for a good chunk of his life, and it's interesting in that respect. I also like the way it handles alternate forms of intimacy, including couples sharing chores, being communicative, and simply looking after each other outside of sex and kisses.

The office workplace stuff was neat, and I do like the way it touches on superiors needing to look out for their juniors. There's a nice pushback against corporate hierarchies and how workplace abuse causes harm.

All in all, it's a neat little manhua that tackles a lot of topics to varying degrees of success, with two nice leads. Well worth the time if you have a little to spare. If you liked it or perhaps want something that handles the topics here better, try, "I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love" by Minta Suzumaru. "His Quiet Agent" by Ada Maria Soto also handles workplace romance with asexual characters very well.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was cute, but felt like it was missing something. It could be that the translation wasn't as clear as it should be, and the errors throughout play into that theory. I thought there would be more to it, with more build up and character progression, but Jason seemed to suddenly just not want to be alone and that was that.

I really enjoyed the art, and was intrigued by the storyline itself. I just wish there was more to build it up, growth from the characters, and relationship building instead of time jumps.

[Liz Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I enjoy short fiction, don't get me wrong. But this was just too short. I would classify this more as a coming of age (even as a 35 year old yes) rather than a romance, as there isn't really romance? The MC is just trying to figure out who he is and what he wants with his life. Which like, yeah, relatable. But I do wish it had been marketed thus and the blurb had focused on that as opposed to romance. It was overall kind of a meh read. I don't regret it but wouldn't read it again.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review.